AG Opinion Opens Spot on Hawkins Commission

An opinion issued last week by Attorney General Robert Cooper confirms there is a vacancy in the District 2 Hawkins County Commission. The seat was held by Dustin Dean, who through an oversight had been considered a District 2 resident while his residence of the past six years is actually located just a few feet inside the District 3 boundary. The opinion says that Dean's seat "is automatically vacant with no judicial determination necessary to establish a vacancy" and that the spot could be put on the ballot for the Nov. 6 election. Candidates have until Aug. 16 to qualify. The Kingsport Times-News has the story